CarBi Starting to Gear up for Xe Sap NPA

Vientiane, 31 August: WWF-Laos provides vehicles to Xe Sap National Protected Area (NPA), which located in Salavan and Sekong Provinces, for CarBi project implementation in the 3-year project lifespan.

CarBi project, which signed off last year by WWF-Laos and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), is the largest and most ambitious project in the history of WWF in the Greater Mekong region.

The KfW funded CarBi project aims at halting deforestation, through forest protection and sustainable use of forest resources, and preserving the unique species diversity.

The CarBi project is transboundary, being implemented in four nature reserves and national protected areas in two countries, Laos and Vietnam.

The CarBi project recently received 9 pickup trucks and 13 motorcycles from WWF-Laos to aid in project implementation. “The Pick-up trucks will speed up the work we run and help to cover all the focal points in Xe Sap NPA, because the NPA is very large and remote”, said Dr. Khammone Luangsakda, Xe Sap NPA Project Manager, WWF-Laos

“Xe Sap NPA in Sekong province – Kalum District, is very difficult to access, most of the time we have to access through Vietnam border. Therefore these vehicles will ease the work and increase more quality of the work”, said Keophayline Ngonephetsy, Sekong Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, Sekong Provincial CarBi Project Director.

Rice cultivation, livestock and Non-Timber Forest Products are main sources of income of communities around the Xe Sap NPA bialai (Anoetochilus lyue), malva nuts (Scaphium macropodum) for instance. The collection of malva nuts can in some years generate thousands USD for communities.

“Some illegal and over-exploiting practices are occurring and disturbing the NPA. Most of the time our teams are not in time once we are informed about illegal poachers and harvesters. These vehicles will help solve the lateness,” said Phoulithath Kaignavongsa, Head of Salavan Forest Resource Division, and Salavan Provincial CarBi Project Director.

These vehicles are to use for the Xe Sap NPA’s CarBi Project activities only. To ease and shorten the distance of the work, and increase more quality of the work are the key purposes of having these vehicles.

“After the successful completion of the project, the vehicles will be handed over to the people of Laos, under the stewardship of the Lao government, in order to facilitate further sustainable management of natural resources in and around Xe Sap National Protected Area”, said Mr. Micah Ingalls, Conservation Programme Manager, WWF-Laos.

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Bialai, Anoectochilus lyei one of the commercial herbs that communities around Xe Sap NPA are harvesting for sales. It costs 30-40USD per kilogram. Livelihoods will sustain if natural resources managed sustainably.